The funny thing is that I do not actually think QPR are as bad as their results have suggested, but they have simply not been able to score enough goals despite bringing in Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell and Shaun Wright-Phillips

“I’m hoping we have someone in place in advance of our game against Newcastle [on Sunday].”

Welshman Hughes also has Premier League experience with Blackburn and Manchester City. Beard agrees that Hughes has the kind of background that the club are looking for although they have “three or four” candidates in mind.

With the club 17th in the Premier League, chairman Tony Fernandes said they made the decision to sack Neil Warnock in the hope a change might preserve their top-flight status.

Beard added: “Neil has done an incredible job for QPR, bringing the club back into the Premier League. We want to remember what he achieved here but we want to move on. We think the time is right to make the change.

“We will be judged because it’s a results-orientated business. The results have not been good over the last few months. We are now in the infamous January transfer window and we want to do some business.

“We haven’t made this change lightly. What we really want is a period of stability.”

Recent QPR managers

2010-12: Neil Warnock

2010: Mick Harford (caretaker)

2009-10: Paul Hart

2009: Steve Gallen & Marc Bircham (caretakers)

2009: Jim Magilton

2009: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)

2008-09: Paulo Sousa

2008: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)

2008: Iain Dowie

2007-08: Luigi De Canio

2007: Mick Harford (caretaker)

2006-07: John Gregory

2006: Gary Waddock (caretaker)

2001-06: Ian Holloway

1998-01: Gerry Francis

Former West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is among others who have been linked with the vacancy, but BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter Ian Dennis says that Hughes is favourite to take charge.

Discussing the decision to sack Warnock, Dowie added: “Neil seems to be given very little credit for the job he did last year, which is rather surprising. Also I don’t think the league position they’re in is beyond the kilter.

“They have 17 points from 20 games. You don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but it certainly raised an eyebrow for me.”